Modular Refrigeration Assembly

ABSTRACT

A modular refrigeration assembly includes a plurality of refrigerators and each of the refrigerators may contain perishable items. A selected number of the refrigerators are removably coupled together. Thus, the selected refrigerators may facilitate a selected amount of cold storage area. The selected refrigerators are selectively uncoupled from each other. Thus, the selected refrigerators may be moved through an area that has a height and a width that is less than a height and a width of the selected refrigerators when the selected refrigerators are removably coupled together.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIE THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention (2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.

The disclosure and prior art relates to refrigeration devices and more particularly pertains to a new refrigeration device having a plurality of refrigerators that are removably coupled together.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of refrigerators and each of the refrigerators may contain perishable items. A selected number of the refrigerators is removably coupled together. Thus, the selected refrigerators may facilitate a selected amount of cold storage area. The selected refrigerators are selectively uncoupled from each other. Thus, the selected refrigerators may be moved through an area has a height and a width is less than a height and a width of the selected refrigerators when the selected refrigerators are removably coupled together.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a modular refrigeration assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new refrigeration device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the modular refrigeration assembly 10 generally comprises a plurality of refrigerators 12. Each of the refrigerators 12 may contain perishable items such as food or the like. Each of the plurality of refrigerators 12 may comprise an electric refrigerator or the like. Each of the refrigerators 12 may have a height ranging between sixty cm and ninety cm. Each of the refrigerators 12 may have a width ranging between forty cm and sixty cm.

A selected number of the refrigerators 12 are removably coupled together. Thus, the selected refrigerators 12 facilitate a selected amount of cold storage area. The selected refrigerators 12 are selectively uncoupled from each other. Thus, each refrigerator 12 may be moved through an area that has a height and a width that is less than a height and a width of the selected refrigerators 12 when the selected refrigerators 12 are removably coupled together. The area may be a hallway in an apartment building, a staircase or other area too small to accommodate a full sized refrigerator.

Each of the plurality of refrigerators 12 comprises a housing 14 that has an outer wall 16. The outer wall 16 has a front side 18, a back side 20, a bottom side 22, a top side 24, a first lateral side 26 and a second lateral side 28. The front side 18 is open to access an interior of the housing 14. The housing 14 may contain the perishable items. At least one door 30 is hingedly coupled to the front side 18 and a handle 32 is coupled to the at least one door 30. Thus, the at least one door 32 selectively opens and closes the front side 24.

A plurality of hooks 34 is provided. Each of the hooks 34 is coupled to the outer wall 16 of the housing 14. The hooks 34 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around the outer wall 16. Each of the hooks 34 may have a first end 36. Each of the hooks 34 may curve away from the outer wall 16 such that the first end 36 is spaced from the outer wall 16. The hooks 34 may be distributed around the top side 24, the bottom side 20, the first lateral side 26 and the second lateral side 28 of the housing 14.

A plurality of latches 38 is provided. Each of the latches 38 is coupled to the outer wall 16 and each of the latches 38 may be manipulated. The latches 38 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around the outer wall 16. Each of the latches 38 is aligned with an associated one of the hooks 34.

Each of the latches 38 on the selected refrigerator 12 selectively engages the associated hooks 34 corresponding to an adjacent one of the refrigerators 12. Thus, the selected refrigerator 12 is removably coupled to the adjacent refrigerator 12. Each of the latches 38 may comprise a lever 40 and a grapple 42 that is coupled to the lever 40. The lever 40 may be movably coupled to the refrigerator 12 and the grapple 42 may engage the associated hook 34.

A touch screen 44 may be coupled to the at least one door 32 corresponding to an associated one of the refrigerators 12. The touch screen 44 may be electrically coupled to the associated refrigerator 12. The touch screen 44 may be manipulated to control operational parameters of the associated refrigerator 12. A transceiver 46 may be coupled to an associated one of the refrigerators 12. The transceiver 46 may be electrically coupled to the associated refrigerator 12 and the transceiver 46 may be in electrical communication with an extrinsic communications network such as the internet or the like.

In an alternative embodiment 48 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer wall 16 corresponding to each of the refrigerators 12 may have an indentation 50. An adjacent one of the refrigerators 12 may be positioned on the indentation 50 of each of the refrigerators 12. Thus, the refrigerators 12 may be stacked upon one another or arranged in a selected configuration. In an alternative embodiment 52 as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of plates 54 may be provided. The plates 54 may be selectively positioned on an associated one of the indentations 50 when an adjacent refrigerator 12 is not placed in the associated indentation 50.

In use, a selected number of the refrigerators 12 are positioned adjacent to one another. The latches 38 on each of the selected refrigerators 12 are manipulated to engage the associated hooks 34 on an adjacent refrigerator 12. Thus, the selected refrigerators 12 are coupled together. The selected refrigerators 12 may be arranged in a horizontal row. The selected refrigerators 12 may be arranged in a vertical column. Moreover, the selected refrigerators 12 may be arranged in a combination of the horizontal row and the vertical column.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

1. A modular refrigeration assembly being configured to be horizontally and vertically expanded, said assembly comprising: a plurality of refrigerators, each of said refrigerators being configured to contain perishable items, a selected number of said refrigerators being removably coupled together wherein said selected number of said refrigerators is configured to facilitate a selected amount of cold storage area, said selected number of said refrigerators being selectively uncoupled from each other wherein said selected number of said refrigerators is configured to be moved through an area having a height and a width being less than a height and a width of said selected number of said refrigerators when said selected number of said refrigerators are removably coupled together; and wherein said outer wall of at least one of selected number of said refrigerators having an indentation, said indentation being complementary to a portion of one other of said selected number of said refrigerators wherein said one other of said selected number of said refrigerators is positionable adjacent to said one of said selected number of said refrigerators such that said portion of said one other of said selected number of said refrigerators occupies said indentation.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of refrigerators comprises: a housing having an outer wall, said outer wall having a front side, said front side being open to access an interior of said housing, said housing being configured to contain the perishable items; at least one door being hingedly coupled to said front side such that said at least one door selectively opens and closes said front side; and a plurality of hooks, each of said hooks being coupled to said outer wall of said housing, said hooks being spaced apart from each other and being distributed around said outer wall.
 3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of refrigerators comprises: a housing having an outer wall; a plurality of hooks, each of said hooks being coupled to said outer wall; and a plurality of latches, each of said latches being coupled to said outer wall wherein each of said latches is configured to be manipulated, each of said latches being spaced apart from each other and being distributed around said outer wall, each of said latches being aligned an associated one of said hooks, each of said latches on said selected refrigerator selectively engaging said associated hooks corresponding to an adjacent one of said refrigerators such that said selected refrigerator is removably coupled to said adjacent refrigerator.
 4. A modular refrigeration assembly being configured to be horizontally and vertically expanded, said assembly comprising: a plurality of refrigerators, each of said refrigerators being configured to contain perishable items, a selected number of said refrigerators being removably coupled together wherein said selected number of said refrigerators is configured to facilitate a selected amount of cold storage area, said selected number of said refrigerators being selectively uncoupled from each other wherein said selected number of said refrigerators is configured to be moved through an area having a height and a width being less than a height and a width of said selected number of said refrigerators when said selected number of said refrigerators are removably coupled together, each of said plurality of refrigerators comprising: a housing having an outer wall, said outer wall having a front side, said front side being open to access an interior of said housing, said housing being configured to contain the perishable items, at least one door being hingedly coupled to said front side such that said at least one door selectively opens and closes said front side, a plurality of hooks, each of said hooks being coupled to said outer wall of said housing, said hooks being spaced apart from each other and being distributed around said outer wall, and a plurality of latches, each of said latches being coupled to said outer wall wherein each of said latches is configured to be manipulated, each of said latches being spaced apart from each other and being distributed around said outer wall, each of said latches being aligned an associated one of said hooks, each of said latches on said selected refrigerator selectively engaging said associated hooks corresponding to an adjacent one of said refrigerators such that said selected refrigerator is removably coupled to said adjacent refrigerator; wherein said outer wall of at least one of selected number of said refrigerators having an indentation, said indentation being complementary to a portion of one other of said selected number of said refrigerators wherein said one other of said selected number of said refrigerators is positionable adjacent to said one of said selected number of said refrigerators such that said portion of said one other of said selected number of said refrigerators occupies said indentation; and a plate, said plate being positionable to occupy said indentation when said portion of said one other of said selected number of said refrigerators is not occupying said indentation. 